Part 2: A Fool's Errand and Iran Update

I borrowed this from Joel Rosenberg's website. It further endorses the danger behind the Russia/Iran alliance and what we can expect in the near future if our President does not stop his foolishly dangerous behavior. I hope you take just a moment to read it.

http://www.nypost.com/f/print/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/putin_iran_plan_mEFNeSqaoqYqnBjUL4PRKP

Also, the following is a AFP article on the latest news covering Iran's nuclear capabilities.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091004/pl_afp/usirannuclearweapons

The Condensed Version

In the book of Jeremiah, thirty-sixth chapter, verses one through thirty-two, (Jeremiah 36:1-32) we read that God instructed Jeremiah to “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now.” (v2) It was God’s intention that the people be warned about His wrath to come if they did not turn from their wicked and sinful ways and seek His forgiveness (v3). Jeremiah did as God commanded him and had his scribe, Baruch, take the scroll to the Lord’s temple and read it to the people (v8-10). Upon hearing God’s Word to Jeremiah, the temple officials “looked at each other in fear” (v16), knowing the Lord had spoken through the prophet, and they warned Baruch to hide with Jeremiah from the king because of what the scroll contained.

The scroll was then taken to King Jehoiakim who was “sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him (v22). Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.” (v23) However, it is the reaction of those who were present that revealed how wicked and sinful the people truly were. Verse twenty-four states, “The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes.”

Undeterred, God once again had Jeremiah dictate His Word to Baruch, only this time He reminded Jehoiakim of his guilt in burning the scroll and His condemnation for doing so (v27-31). The king was taken captive by the Babylonians, dying on his way to Babylon (2Chronicles 36:5-6), and his son, Jehoiachin, only served as king for three months before being taken captive.

There is a disturbing parallel between Jehoiakim’s actions and what we see happening today within many churches. The tendency to condense God’s Word to suit social issues has permeated the Church. In the form of “tolerance” to lifestyles God finds abominable and the minimization of sinful behavior, there are those within the Church who would, without provocation or fear, “cut” certain passages from His Word to draw and appease sinners. Instead of preaching the Word of God in its entirety and purity, some “emerging” Church leaders prefer to omit Scripture that would clearly and explicitly condemn their congregation because they want to be seen as open-minded and tolerant of others and their self-preferences. Like Jehoiakim, many of today's pastors take portions of God's Word and "(burn them) in the fire” because to preach them would “offend” and perhaps cause the same fear within their congregation the temple officials experienced when they heard God speak through Jeremiah. To fail to do so, the “feel good” church of today would be seen as “hateful” and full of “self-righteousness”, and they certainly would not want that.

God is not politically correct, nor is He socially adaptable. He is the eternal God and is unchanging despite the changes we see within the world today and man's attempt to make Him “fit“ those changes. To take His Word and condense it to adapt to certain social and political platforms is nothing short of wrong. The Bible is replete with instances where man disregarded God’s warnings and suffered the consequences. Much of today’s society dwells in the sewers of sin and wickedness and there is hardly a moment that passes when one does not hear of someone breaking God’s moral and civil laws. They snip and cut away at His Word until there is nothing left of its original content, and they are smugly satisfied with the results.

The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2Timothy 3:16-17) There is not one word written within Scripture that is not inspired by God Almighty to instruct us in the way we should act and lead our lives. We should read it and apply it to everything we do and say, not pick and choose only what we think suits the moment. Nor should we add to His Word and falsely claim He has amended it to fit today’s lifestyles or whims. That makes Him to be a liar and we all know God does not and can not lie.

God’s Word is our only true source of guidance in a world ripe with sin. It is dependable and reliable because His Word is holy, eternal, and just. If we remain true to not just part of it but all of it, God will increase our knowledge and give us His wisdom in how our lives should be led. And if we take His Word as trustworthy and give it to others with love, we are fulfilling God’s command to spread His Gospel and helping Him save others from eternal death.

We must refuse to condense the Word of God by keeping Scripture pure and unadulterated. We must take the initiative and examine what we are being taught in church by faithfully going into His Word in order to prevent being deceived. If we do, it will save us from reaping what Jehoiakim sowed.